Food security and urban systems governance are not widely acknowledged as falling within local government mandates in African cities. However, urban policies and planning profoundly shape urban food systems and the urban conditions that drive food insecurity and malnutrition. The state’s engagement with the food system is informed by historical policy and planning legacies overlaid with decontextualized imported ideals from the global north. This lecture presents findings from research conducted in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe to frame the impacts of existing planning on food security, but also the potential for more food sensitive planning to emerge.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. There is one (1) AIA learning unit available for those who attend.